Moonshae Isles
The Moonshae Isles are a group of islands that form a roughly circular archipelago with the Sea of Moonshae in the centre. They lie roughly 400 miles (644km) West of the region of Amn and to the southwest of the Sword Coast. As of 1371 DR the majority of the Moonshae Isles are ruled by the High Queen Alicia Kendrick, who rules from the capital city of Caer Callidyrr on Alaron. Islands The islands that make up the Moonshae Isles are as follows: * Alaron * Flamsterd * Gwynneth * Korinn Archipelago * Mintarn * Moray * Norland * Oman's Isle * Snowdown Societies The Moonshae Isles are populated mainly by the Ffolk and the Northlanders, two human societies, but there are a small number of Llewyrr elves living in isolation on the islands of Alaron and Gwynneth. Dwarves and halflings also populate the Moonshaes although their numbers are far smaller than the human occupants. Quick History The Moonshaes are a cold cluster of rocky islands west of the Sword Coast. Cloaked in mists and deep woods, the islands boast abundant vegetation, wildlife, bogs, and soaring mountains. The coastlines are sharp and rugged, and harsh storms sweep the islands during the cold months. In previous years the isles' two dominate human ethnicities, the Northlanders or "Northmen" and the Ffolk, spent much of their time at each other's throats, particularly because of the Northlanders' penchant for bloody raiding. In the Year of the Bright Blade (1347 DR), High King Tristan Kendrick brought Ffolk and Northmen together to sign the Treaty of Oman, which ushered in more than twenty years of uneasy peace. Then in the Year of the Unstrung Harp (1371 DR), both groups agreed to permanently put aside long held animosities and come together as a united people. Today Ffolk and Northlander alike swear fealty to High Queen Alicia Kendrick, who rules from her court at Caer Callidyrr on the eastern island of Alaron. The southern islands of the Moonshaes remain predominately settled by the Ffolk, dark-haired, fair-skinned farmers and fisherfolk who were the original human inhabitants of the islands. The northern isles remain dominated by the seafaring Northlanders, fair-skinned, light-haired warriors who trace their ancestry from the raiders of Ruathym and ancient Illusk. Northmen still feel that it is far more honorable to live a life of adventure on the seas than to farm and herd animals as the Ffolk do. The Northlanders haven't completely abandoned their life of pillaging either, though they now focus their aggression against the smaller isles of the Trackless Sea or the reaver-held lands of the Nelanther. All Moonshavians speak Illuskan and the few literate employ the Thorass script introduced by Tethyrian immigrants. The Moonshae's small circle of druids speak the original language of the Ffolk -- Waelan, an ancient Talfric tongue based on the Draconic alphabet. Traditionally Moonshavians have not welcomed outlanders from the mainland. Since her rise to power in the Year of the Sword (1365 DR), the high queen has sought to break the custom of isolationism long practiced by her people. Humans are not the only inhabitants among the isles. Gwynneth, the largest and most central of the Moonshae's many islands, contains a large region still inhabited by the lands' original residents. The huge valley of bogs, forests, and wild scrubland has been known for millennia as Myrloch Vale, named after the large, cold lake at its center. Today the vale forms the center of the fey kingdom of Sarifal, returned to the Moonshaes in the Year of Risen Elfkin (1375 DR). It's hard to dismiss the enchanted nature of the place. Here dwell many varieties of fey, enchanted beasts, sentient vegetation, and of course the reclusive Llewyrrr elves in their mountain home of Synnoria Northlanders-Ffolk conflict The Northlanders are a violent, war-like society with little interest for or tolerance of the Ffolk's monarchical ways. This creates a continuous tension between the two human peoples, with Northlander raids on Ffolk farmsteads a common occurrence. A large majority of the Ffolk worship druidic goddess the Earthmother, an aspect of the benign goddess of agriculture, Chauntea. However, in recent years, the conflict between the Northlanders and the Ffolk has waned due to the hard work of the High King Tristan Kendrick and later through his daughter, High Queen Alicia Kendrick. Through their queen's work for peaceful solutions to arguments between the Northlanders and the Ffolk, the Moonshaes have enjoyed several decades of relative peace. History Cataloging the most prominent events from the Days of Thunder to the impending Spellplague, The Grand History of the Realms presents the definitive chronology of the Forgotten Realms setting. Some corners of the Realms, however, still hold their secrets from sages and historians. One such place is the enchanted Moonshae Isles, home to the very first novel published in the Forgotten Realms setting, Darkwalker on Moonshae by Douglas Niles. Timeline Format The bulk of this supplement is made up of brief entries that collectively form a timeline of the history of the Moonshaes and other islands of the Sea of Swords. The events are presented (naturally) in chronological order according to the year or time frame in which they occurred. The Ffolk of the Moonshae mark the ascendancy of Cymrych Hugh to the throne of the High King in the Year of the Student as the start of their calendar. For ease of reference, all dates in this timeline are expressed in the Dalereckoning (DR) notation. To convert between Dalereckoning and Moonshae Reckoning (MR): DR - 200 = MR or MR + 200 = DR. Monarchies of the Ffolk Following the chronology, enjoy for the first time a detailed list of the ruling dynasties of the Ffolk from Gwynneth "the First Mother" to High Queen Alicia Kendrick. Timeline of the Moonshae Isles c. -17600 DR The unchecked energy of the Sundering fractures the supercontinent of Merrouroboros, driving one continental plate westward and forming the Moonshae Islands in its wake. In this age, the Moonshaes consisted of hundreds of little islands, little more than volcanic peaks rising up abruptly out of the turbulent sea. Most undersea inhabitants of Claarteeros (Black Sea) are slain during the Sundering. Ongoing seismic activity following the cataclysm leads to millennia of earthquakes, maelstroms, and other deadly sea hazards, limiting travel and colonization both above and beneath the waves. c. -15000 DR Fey take a greater interest in the great archipelago off Faerûn's western shore. Using their mysterious crossroads, thousands of fey begin settling the Moonshae Isles. c. -11000 DR The mighty fey guardian, Leviathan, arrives to defend the gravely shores and deep firths of the Moonshaes' rugged shorelines. Over the next several centuries the seas calm, the earthquakes subside, and the volcanoes become dormant. It is thought that the leShay or their gods are responsible. By this time, the Moonshae Islands appear much as they do in the present day, consisting of a few large islands and the Korinn Archipelago. The leShay establish the kingdom of Sarifal; its capitol the shining city of Karador built upon a small island at the center of the shimmering blue waters of Myrloch, a large lake nestled within a great vale on the Moonshae's central island. c. -10000 DR The elder unicorn Kamerynn arrives on the Moonshaes, to defend the fields and glens of these great islands. c. -9800 DR The leShay welcome Llewyrr refugees from the mainland, allowing them to settle in isolation and safety among the mountains of the Moonshae Islands. The Llewyrr name their new kingdom Synnoria, after the elf queen who led them to this island sanctuary. c. -9000 DR Seeking a counterbalance for the benevolent Leviathan and the wise Kamerynn, the Earthmother summons to the Moonshaes her third child -- the youngest and deadliest of her brood. The Balance demanded that life be countered by death, so the goddess brought forth unto the Moonshaes the Pack, a congregation of savage and bloodthirsty wolves. c. -8000 DR Dwarven refugees cut off from Shanatar as a result of the Mindstalker Wars begin exploring remote subterranean passages beneath the Sea of Swords. The dwarves later establish Dwarvenhome in the natural caverns under the Moonshae Islands. c. -7000 DR Dwarven settlers establish Highhome in the Cambro Mountains east of Myrloch Vale. c. -6000 DR Grond Peaksmasher leads a tribe of giants to the Moonshae Isles, primarily settling on the island of Norland in the Jotunhammer Mountains. The dwarves name the giant tribe "Fir-Bolg," or large men with spears. c. -5000 DR In a great conflict between the dwarves and firbolgs of the Moonshaes, Grond Peaksmasher is imprisoned on Oman's Isle beneath the great Ice Peak. Without Grond's guidance, the firbolgs degenerate into brutes no more civilized than hill giants. c. -4600 DR The stone fortress of Sonnmorndin is built as a naval base by the Sailors of the Mountainous Waves, the dwarven marines of Haunghdannar, on the island of Arauwurbarak (present-day Ruathym). c. -4000 DR Imaskari artificers are common visitors to the Royal Court of Sarifal. It is thought that the leShay establish an alliance with the human empire during this time. c. -3100 DR Human seafarers from the west, known today as the Illuskan or Northmen, name and settle the island of Ruathym. c. -3000 DR Human warriors of Ruathym found the settlement of Illusk at the mouth of the River Mirar and displace local Ice Hunter tribes. c. -2000 DR Malar unleashes "The Beast" to stalk the Moonshae Islands. The Llewyrr united with the dwarves and the children of the Earthmother to confront the Beast. From the darkest depths of Feywild, the Beast summons forth mighty fomorians to fight against his enemies. For many decades, war wracks the isles, but finally the Beast's evil minions are driven into small corners of the isles, where they were carefully watched by the protectors of the Balance. The fomorians, an evil race of giant-sized fey, easily overpower the native firbolg tribes, taking them as slaves. After a few generations of forced breeding, Moonshae firbolgs assume some of the disfigurements commonly associated with fomorians. c. -1000 DR For the next several centuries, the Illuskans of Ruathym colonize the Gull Rocks, Gundarlun, Mintarn, the Purple Rocks, the Teeth, Tuern (a.k.a., Uttersea), Umukek, the Wave Rocks, and the Whalebones. In time these Illuskan seafarers become known as the Northmen. Thinking them cursed, the Northmen stay clear of the Moonshae Isles and its mischievous fey inhabitants. c. -500 DR Most Fey, including the haughty leShay and the malevolent fomorians, inexplicably retreat to Feywild, abandoning the kingdom of Sarifal and their claim to the Moonshae Isles. The ancient city of Karador sinks beneath the waves of Myrloch, forgotten but not wholly abandoned. -334 DR (Year of the Three Seas' Rage) A group of Netherese arcanists establish the city Helbrester in the Nelanther Isles. -105 DR (Year of the Bloody Goad) An Illuskan tribe known as the Rus, led by their chieftain Yvengi, stumble upon a malfunctioning portal in the Whalebones. It deposited them on the eastern shore of Lake Ashane in far away Rashemen. -54 DR (Year of Tomes) Pirates settle the Nelanther at this time and begin stealing ships and start major disruptions of the burgeoning sea trade off Tethyr. The pirates are led by Black Alaric the Pirate, the exiled cousin of Chief Darius Fyrson of Clan Fyrson. The pirates under Black Alaric attempt to seize Helbrester but are driven off. The Sunset Towers area becomes a neutral meeting ground for pirates and merchants alike. -44 DR (Year of the Giant's Rage) King Nishan II of Tethyr launches a major offensive against the pirates that culminates in the Channel Battle, which sees the sinking of the royal flagship and the death of its commander, the scuttling of the pirate flagship, and the believed death of Black Alaric the Pirate. -9 DR (Year of Fell Traitors) Clan Fyrson of Tethyr voluntarily goes outlaw and joins the Nelanther pirates after the murder of clan chief Tavis II by his brother Volsun. Volsun assumes the mantle of Black Alaric, started by his late paternal uncle. 95 DR (Year of the Reluctant Hero) The Ruathym warlord Uthgar Gardolfsson leads a reaver fleet against the port of Illusk and sacks the city. The roused citizens of Illusk o succeed in burning the raiders' ships, and the weakened reavers are eventually driven from the city by enraged citizen mobs. 127 DR (Year of the Defiant Stone) Grath Erlkar, a Northmen raider and explorer, founds Grath's Hold (later known as Port Llast). 140 DR (Year of the Executioner) Fleeing persecution under the Shadowking of Ebenfar, tribes of lost Talfir cross the Sea of Swords and settle along the southern shores of the island they name Gwynneth. 144 DR (Year of the Fear and Flame) Human settlers of Gwynneth come into conflict with the Llewyrr. The chieftain Taylor, consort of Gwynneth "the First Mother," dies in combat with the elves. 149 DR (Year of the Dwarf) Victorious in battle, Deric of the Ffolk unites the cantrevs of southern Gwynneth into the fledgling kingdom of Corwell. 151 DR (Year of the Kraken) Birth of Slarkrethel, future leader of the Kraken Society and seraph of Umberlee, in the depths of the Trackless Sea. 154 DR (Year of the Jealous Hag) King Kaminas of Synnoria and King Deric of Corwell establish peace between their two peoples at the elven capital of Chysalis. 177 DR (Year of the Troublesome Vixen) Following years of civil war, Callidyrr Hugh, a son of Ebenfar nobility, unites the warring kingdoms of Corwell. 201 DR (Year of the Student) Bhaal, assumes control of Kazgoroth and sends "the Beast" against the Ffolk of the Moonshaes. The legendary warrior chieftain Cymrych Hugh defeats Kazgoroth and is crowned High King of the Moonshae Isles. Later the same year Queen Allisynn succumbs to wounds suffered during the war against Kazgoroth. Cymrych Hugh commissions the construction of a palace to house his wife's body and fills it with vast treasures. Druids then send Caer Allisynn to a watery grave beneath the Strait of Alaron. is considered Year 1 of the Moonshae Reckoning (MR) calendar. 244 DR (Year of the Elfsands) The kraken Slarkrethel discovers the ruins of the ancient elven city of Ascarle in the Trackless Sea and begins formation of the Kraken Society. 250 DR (Year of the Storm Crown) Upon his death, High King Cymrych Hugh is entombed beneath a barrow mound in the foothills north of Blackstone. With no strong heir to the throne, the kingdoms of Moonshae split among the islands. 256 DR (Year of the Thousand Snows) Illuskan sailors from the island nations of Tuern and Gundarlun make landfall on the Moonshae Islands, finding a collection of squabbling kingdoms. Over the next couple centuries, Ffolk settlements throughout the Moonshaes suffer seasonal attacks from the barbaric Northmen. 289 DR (Year of the Walking Dreams) High King Gwylloch has the skulls of his enemies fashioned into the Castle of Skulls. The High King then moves his court to the mighty palace hidden in the depths of Llyrath Forest. Gwylloch leads expeditions against the lands of the Northmen over the next several years. Captives were taken to High King's palace where they were slain in a grim arena called the Circus Bizarre. 295 DR (Year of the Wrathful Revenant) Prince Ketheryll, son of High King Gwylloch, captures King Durnhal and Queen Morgan of Corwell and puts them to death for treason against the High King. 299 DR (Year of the Vaasan Knot) High King Gwylloch, Prince Ketheryll, and all of their retainers slowly go mad. On the evening of the summer solstice, the inhabitants of the Castle of Skulls slaughter each other in a suicidal orgy of combat within the castle's gruesome walls. It is suspected that the mage Flamsterd was somehow involved in the High King's downfall. 310 DR (Year of the Umberhulk) The halfling community of Marrduin on the island of Orlumbor is decimated by a six-legged horror from the Lower Planes named Gorathil. 370 DR (Year of Sleeping Dangers) Calimshan's Great Colony Fleet sets sail to colonize the Moonshaes. An unseasonable storm blows over the Calishite vessels, sinking half the fleet within the first hour and driving the remaining vessels hundreds of leagues into the Trackless Sea. Survivors, clinging to the few ships that remain afloat, drift upon the currents of the Trackless Sea for twenty days and nights. Of the six hundred that set sail from Calimport, only a score survive to reach landfall on the shores of distant Lopango. 467 DR (Year of Four Winds) A large migrant group of Tethyrians immigrate to the Moonshae Isles and settle among the Ffolk. The outlanders bring with them the faiths of the mainland, but most Ffolk continue to worship the Earthmother exclusively. Among the settlers are architects and engineers who teach the Ffolk how to build strong defensive fortifications such as city walls and stone keeps. Northmen incursions drop off precipitously over the next several centuries. 562 DR (Year of the Waking Feyr) Anhaern Rhyllgallohyr, Captain of the Sisters of Synnoria, loses her life while investigating a disturbance in the Fens of the Fallen. Restored to life by some fell magic, Anhaern is seen a tenday later galloping across Myrloch Vale on her ghostly steed. Ffolk skalds name her the Shee, or "Banshee Rider." 621 DR (Year of Nineteen Swords) Princess Bridget of Callidyrr and her royal entourage disappear en route to Norland, where she was to be wed to Prince Scothgar of Rogarsheim. Both sides blame each other for the Princess' disappearance, further straining relations between the two peoples. Settlers from the Moonshae Isles colonize the lands of the Utter East and subjugate the indigenous Mar tribes. 745 DR (Year of the Proud Menhir) Fire Giants sailing from Tuern on gargantuan longships sack the coastal town of Gundbarg. This is the first of many giant raids against Gundarlun that continue to the present day. 852 DR (Year of the False Smile) A massive fleet of Illuskan longships from the Sword Coast arrive in the Moonshae Islands, ready for conquest. High King Dolan Cymrych is drowned when his coracle flotilla is destroyed crossing Whitefish Bay in a futile attempt to turn back the Northmen fleet. The Crown of the High King is lost to the watery depths. Dolan's son Conn assumes the High Throne, but the loss of the crown becomes a severe blow to his position. 887 DR (Year of Fell Pearls) Pirates from the South raid Nimoar's Hold in force but all attacks against the fledgling city fail. 944 DR (Year of the Animated Armor) The Ffolk of the Moonshaes concede the northern isles of the Moonshaes to "Northmen" settlers. High King Tanner Cymrych leads his men into Myrloch Vale to quell a giant incursion. Ambushed, the High King loses his life though the Ffolk win the day. The Sword of Cymrych Hugh is lost, apparently carried away by giant survivors. 964 DR (Year of the Pickled Privateer) Belshareen, a maiden of the Ffolk, marries Ridinlahr, a lord of the Llewyrr. Lord Ridinlahr crafts a magic harp for his new bride, which in time will become known as the Lost Harp of Belshareen. 1052 DR (Year of the Frozen Kingdoms) High King Bayle Carrathal of the Moonshaes seeks to annex the islands of Jannath's Tears into his kingdom. Baldur's Gate comes to the defense of the Tears, sinking Carrathal's small fleet. 1107 DR (Year of the Skulk) The sage and historian Bhaernom Khreyt of Baldur's Gate, possessor of the Tome of the Unicorn, loses the book when the ship carrying it to the Moonshae Isles sinks with the loss of all hands. 1126 DR (Year of Azure Blood) The royal family of Ruathym obtains the fabled Tome of the Unicorn and places this treasure in the Green Rooms on that island. 1128 DR (Year of the Peryton) The ancient red wyrm Gotha is deceived by Talos and led to his demise trapped within the cold earth of the icy north. Instead of death, the corrupting influence of Talos transforms Gotha into a dracolich and for centuries he lay there frozen and crushed beneath the mountain waiting for Talos to free him. 1148 DR (Year of the Angry Sea) The first surface-dwelling agents of the Kraken Society begin to operate in the coastal lands of the North. 1228 DR (Year of the Tattered Banners) The many small islands of the Korinn Archipelago are tamed by a Northmen chieftain named Viledel "the Sea King." 1291 DR (Year of the Hooded Falcon) Flamsterd tower explodes in a great cacophony, dropping it and half the island of the same name into the sea. There is no word of Flamsterd or his apprentices. 1326 DR (Year of the Striking Hawk) Prince Tristan, son of King Bryon Kendrick of Corwell, is born. 1329 DR (Year of the Lost Helm) The Calishite mining and refining colony of Berranzo is founded on Gundarlun by a consortium of merchants led by the wizard Hochmiraz. 1330 DR (Year of the Marching Moon) Brianna Moonsinger, Great Druid of the Moonshaes, is slain while trying to prevent the return of Kazgaroth. Her sister Genna takes up the mantle of Great Druid. Queen Addee of Corwell dies; succumbing to an illness sustained in childbirth with Tristan. King Bryon Kendrick spends the next ten years in mourning. 1335 DR (Year of the Snow Winds) King Dagdar of Moray leads an assault against the Northmen village of Trondhelm and is slain. His son Dynnegall is later crowned king. 1336 DR (Year of the Blazing Brand) Elminster "the Sage" visits the Moonshae Isles. 1341 DR (Year of the Gate) Following the death of Sigurd Helmudson "the Wise," Rolf Olafsson is named King of Gnarhelm, uniting the disparate realms of Olafstaad, Gnarhelm, and Sunderstaad under a single banner. 1345 DR (Year of the Saddle) Darkwalker War: Agents of the god Bhaal corrupt one of the Earthmother's moonwells. From this darkwell, Kazgaroth "the Beast" attempts to destroy the Earthmother and ruin the Moonshaes. Kazgaroth, disguised in the human form of Thelgaar Ironhand, leads an invasion of Caer Corwell. In the end, Kazgoroth flees to the corrupted moonwell and is slain by Tristan and his companions. King Pwylloch of Snowdown is assassinated. 1346 DR (Year of the Bloodbird) King Dynnegall of Moray and King Bryon Kendrick of Corwell are assassinated. Prince Tristan and allies later defeat the murderous wizards and depose High King Carrathal, who had become a puppet of evil in service to Bhaal. Tristan Kendrick is then anointed High King of the Moonshaes by the Earthmother herself. The sinister god Bhaal seeks to use a corrupted moonwell to send a manifestation known as "the Ravager" to the Moonshaes. It was during this time that the goddess Chauntea noticed the crippled and faltering status of the Earthmother and began to counter Bhaal's schemes for the Isles. Embracing the goddess Chauntea, the Great Druid Robyn Moonsinger uses her new powers to drive Bhaal's avatar back through the darkwell. King Tristan used the Sword of Cymrych Hugh to seal the gate, severing Bhaal's link to the Moonshaes. High King Tristan Kendrick and Queen Robyn are married that winter in Caer Callidyrr. Within two years, the royal couple welcome into the world two beautiful heirs, the girls Alicia and Deirdre. 1347 DR (Year of the Bright Blade) Treaty of Oman: Witnessed by King Rolf Olafsson of Gnarhelm and Grunnarch the Red of Norland under the looming spire of Icepeak, the Northmen tribes of the Moonshaes sign a peace treaty with High King Tristan Kendrick of the Ffolk. 1348 DR (Year of the Spur) King Rolf Olafsson dies of natural causes leaving the Northmen realm of Gnarhelm to his son Svenyird. 1353 DR (Year of the Arch) Lord Dagus of Olafstaad sets sail with sixty warriors to pillage the Nelanther Isles. Their season of successful raiding turns grim when they are confronted by bloodthirsty reavers southeast of Nindrol. Seeking a tactical advantage over the inhuman pirates, Dagus leads his longships through the deadly whirlpools of Oboron's Maw. His crew's superior seamanship wins the day, but the Northmen suffer many casualties. Lord Dagus himself is grievously wounded, losing his left arm below the elbow. 1356 DR (Year of the Wyrm) Ruathym-Luskan War: Ruathym attacks and sinks a Luskanite caravel after persons unknown (at the time) stole the Tome of the Unicorn from the Green Library. Luskan responds by destroying much of Ruathym's fleet and invades the island itself. After months of fighting, Ruathym's defenders drive the High Captains of Luskan back to their ships. 1357 DR (Year of the Prince) Waterdeep negotiates a truce between Ruathym and Luskan, but that backfires when Luskan, Ruathym, Tuern, and the Whalebones forge an alliance to raid settlements along the Sword Coast. -- The Chansreena (Princess) Alabhansree Alanasker disappears from Ormpur along with a large quantity of saffron and many magical blades, traveling with her lover, the pirate Cairak Redbeard, to the Moonshaes. 1358 DR (Year of Shadows) The Lords' Alliance expels Luskan's forces from Ruathym by applying combined diplomatic and military pressure. Luskan and the allied island realms of the Trackless Sea join to form the Captain's Confederation. Appearing also in the Trackless Sea, Umberlee "the Bitch Queen" adopts the kraken Slarkrethel as her seraph. 1359 DR (Year of the Serpent) Led by Gauntather "the Dark Druid," priests of the Risen Cult of Bane arrive in the Moonshaes to spread fear among the Ffolk and fight against local druids with hired brigands and undead. Employing a little used portal known as the Cloven Stone, the Cult secretly infiltrates Caer Callidyrr seeking to abduct High King Tristan the abduction, but not before confronting and driving off an avatar of Iyachtu Xvim, "the Godson." 1360 DR (Year of the Helm) Talos "the Destroyer" sends an onslaught of storm, drought, blizzard, and hurricanes upon the Moonshaes over the next five years. Akbet-Khrul, the self-named Grand Vizier of the Pirate Isles, leads two dozen galleys filled with bloodthirsty pirates against Captain-General Cordell and a much smaller force of mercenaries hired by desperate merchants from Amn. Superior tactics and the favor of Helm "the Vigilant One" win the day for Cordell and his Golden Legion. Akbet-Khrul's pirates are routed, leaving the passage through Asavir's Channel safe for merchant traffic over the next several years. 1361 DR (Year of Maidens) The plotting of the Kraken Society sees Ruathym pitted against the sea elves of the surrounding region and Luskan. Waterdeep, along with the rest of the Lords' Alliance, is forced to threaten war when Luskan once again conquers Ruathym to the west. The Society's plot is foiled by Liriel Baenre and her companion Fyodor. 1365 DR (Year of the Sword) Robyn Kendrick, High Queen of the Moonshaes, once again feels the Earthmother's touch, marking the goddess's return to the Moonshae Isles. Displeased with the apparent rebirth of an ancient foe, the vengeful Talos seeks to turn the Northmen and the Ffolk against one another. To assist in his evil agenda, Talos recruits murderous pirates, sahuagin from the deep realm of Kressilacc, and the dracolich Gotha to his cause. High King Tristan Kendrick sails for Amn to secure great quantities of grain to feed his growing population. On the return trip his galleon is scuttled by bad weather with all hands lost to the sea. It is later revealed that the High King was captured by sea troll king Krell-Bane and taken to the undersea city of Kyrasti. Emissaries of Krell-Bane later deliver a grizzly trophy to High Queen Robyn, her husband's left hand. While the High King is away, greed and lust for power drives Angus Blackstone, Earl of Fairheight, to betray the throne in exchange for favors from a dark agent of Talos. His deceit is later revealed and Earl Blackstone pays for his treachery with his life. His son, Hanrold is named the new Earl of Fairheight. Malar unleashes Ityak-Ortheel "the Elf Eater" to rampage across Myrloch Vale and assault the elven realm of Synnoria. Ityak-Ortheel destroys the portal Fey-Alamtine and the Llewyrr capital city of Chrysalis, including Argen-Tellirynd, the timeless Palace of Ages. The halfling hero Pawldo of Lowhill is slain before Ityak-Ortheel is banished back to the Abyss. Thurgol, firbolg chieftain of Blackleaf, leads his tribe into the lands east of Codsrun Creek where they sack the dwarven settlement of Cambro and retrieve the legendary Silverhaft Axe. Trolls join the firbolg ranks as the army marches north toward the Strait of Oman and the doomed village of Codscove. Parell Hyath, Exalted Inquisitor of Helm, arrives in the Moonshaes riding a Chariot of Sustarre. After failing to regenerate the High King's hand, the Inquisitor convinces Tristan to undertake a holy quest in the wilds of Myrloch Vale. Princess Dierdre Kendrick, corrupted by Talos, assists firbolgs in releasing the avatar of Grond Peaksmasher from his imprisonment atop the frozen trails of Ice Peak on Oman's Isle. The Princess is later slain by her sister Alicia. Queen Robyn later retires to Myrloch Vale to commune with the Earthmother. Tristan Kendrick abdicates his throne to be with his wife and their daughter Alicia Kendrick is crowned High Queen of the Moonshaes. 1366 DR (Year of the Staff) The wizard Keane is crowned High King upon his marriage to High Queen Alicia Kendrick of the Moonshae Isles. Prince Brandon Olafsson is named king of Gnarhelm following his father's death by illness. With the revitalization of the Moonshae's many moonwells, faithful of the Earthmother begin to pilgrimage to druid groves in great numbers. 1367 DR (Year of the Shield) In the Sacred Grove of the Great Druid on the shores of Myrloch, the Robyn Kendrick encounters an old friend, Yazilliclik the wood sprite. Yazilliclik warns the Great Druid that "Sarifal is awakening" before disappearing. 1368 DR (Year of the Gauntlet) The kraken Slarkrethel destroys and sinks the Harper-charted Maiden's Defiance near the ruins of Ascarle. -- Druid grove wardens throughout Myrloch Vale mysteriously disappear after being called to enter the sacred waters of the moonwells. Distracted by the faerie dragon Newt, the Great Druid Robyn Kendrick does not succumb to the same fate. 1369 DR (Year of the Gauntlet) Deepwater War: Sahuagin raiders, led by the enigmatic wereshark Iakhovas, attack port cities of the Sword Coast throughout the year leaving harbors in ruin and fleets shattered. Sea trade throughout the Sea of Swords drops precipitously in the wake of the conflict. The Bozeman Line, a merchant coster operating out of Callidyr, sets aflame its own vessel, the Green Hag, to prevent it from falling into the hands of the notorious pirate Black Alaric of the Nelanther. Pilgrimages to the druid groves diminish as Ffolk continue to go missing at the moonwells. Against the High Queen's advice, Robyn and Tristan Kendrick harness the power of the Great Moonwell of Myrloch Vale and enter the otherworldly realm of Feywild in search of the missing druids. 1370 DR (Year of the Tankard) In a decisive sea victory over the reavers of the Nelanther, the Royal Navy of the Moonshaes, lead by flagship Callidyrr Hugh, sinks nearly twenty enemy vessels in the waters of Firedrake Bay. The Royal Navy loses only six vessels in the confrontation. Many species of fey, largely benevolent though occasionally mischievous, begin immigrating through the moonwells. The faeries confine themselves primarily to the lands of Myrloch Vale and Winterglen Forest. 1371 DR (Year of the Unstrung Harp) United Moonshae Isles: At King Olafsson's urging, Northmen kings throughout the Sea of Moonshae swear fealty to the new High Queen. For the first time in their stormy history, both Northmen and Ffolk are united under a single banner. With grand ceremony High Queen Alicia Kendrick signs a proclamation marking the birth of the United Moonshae Isles. The Northmen kings adopt the title of Jarl and continue to rule the traditional lands of their people. In the waning days of Kythorn a shimmerling swarm descends on the remote Northmen village of Grimstad along the northern frontier of Winterglen. Following the attack, the residents abandoned the site and by year's end the entire village is subsumed by the ever-expanding Forest. 1372 DR (Year of Wild Magic) Exotic species of half-fey are seen throughout the isles. Violent encounters with fey continue to increase as Ffolk and Northmen are driven from settlements along the circumference of Myrloch Vale. High Queen Alicia sends men to investigate the increasing fey threat to her kingdom. They are either turned away or disappear completely. Hunters report that a charismatic verdant prince has been organizing the fey and sentient plants of Oakvale on Myrloch's southwestern shore. 1373 DR (Year of the Rogue Dragons) The ancient red dragon Hoondarrh, "the Red Rage of Mintarn," vents his fury on the city of Callidyrr, setting much of the city ablaze. The Great Druid, Robyn Kendrick, emerges from Feywild with a circle of powerful druids. She quickly teleports to Callidyrr with her entourage and drives away the Red Rage. High King Keane later succumbs to grievous wounds suffered while defending the city. Attempts to resurrect the High King are fruitless. 1374 DR (Year of Lightning Storms) As they were millennia past, the firbolgs of the Grampalt Highlands are subjugated by fomorians and sent into battle against the settlements of Oman's Isle. By Midsummer Iron Keep, all of Oman's Isle falls to the evil fomorians and their firbolg thralls. 1375 DR (Year of Risen Elfkin) The ancient leShay capital of Karador rises from the crystal clear waters of Myrloch. The fey queen Ordalf announces the rebirth of the Sarifal and declares herself High Lady over all the lands of Gwynneth. Category:Islands Category:Locations in the Sea of Swords Category:Locations in West Faerûn